GAZA CITY — An Israeli airstrike targeting a school in the Al-Zaytun neighborhood of Gaza City resulted in the deaths of at least five Palestinians, including women and children, on Saturday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the Shuhada' al-Zaytun school, currently serving as a shelter for displaced persons, was struck by Israeli warplanes. Palestinian security sources reported that the facility was attacked due to its use by militants. Medical sources indicated that the airstrike not only caused fatalities but also left several others injured, who were subsequently transported to local hospitals for treatment.

The Israeli military has confirmed the strike, describing it as a precision, intelligence-guided operation aimed at a "command and control complex" within the school premises. According to the military, the site was being used by Hamas operatives to orchestrate and carry out attacks against Israel.

This incident forms part of a broader Israeli offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, initiated in response to a deadly incursion by Hamas militants into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages.

The ongoing conflict has significantly escalated the Palestinian death toll, which now stands at 41,182, as reported by Gaza-based health authorities on Saturday.